Utah County's Land Use Ordinance Chapter 10 requires fully shielded, full-cutoff outdoor fixtures in most zones with lumen caps per acre and a 3000K max color temperature for residential areas. Utah is an international dark-sky leader with several nearby IDA-certified places driving regional standards.
Utah County's Land Use Ordinance outdoor lighting standards require new nonresidential and multi-family exterior lighting to use full-cutoff (IES-defined) luminaires emitting zero lumens above 90 degrees from nadir. Maximum lamp correlated color temperature is 3000K. Lumen-per-acre caps apply by zoning district, with tighter limits in agricultural and residential zones. Provo City Code §14.38 (Outdoor Lighting) and Orem City Code Chapter 22-6 impose similar full-cutoff requirements. Canopy lighting at gas stations and drive-throughs must be fully recessed. Parking lot pole heights are generally capped at 25 feet in residential-adjacent areas. Utah County sits near several International Dark-Sky Association designations (Antelope Island, Jordanelle, Goblin Valley) and the state has codified dark-sky friendly guidance in UAC R309 adjacent guidance. Upward-aimed architectural uplighting, sky beamers, and laser displays are prohibited without special permit.
Non-compliant fixtures on new construction: certificate of occupancy withheld until corrected. Existing non-compliant commercial lighting: notice to correct within 30–60 days, then fines $100 to $500 per day. Sky beamers without permit: immediate shutdown and $500 citation.
Utah County, UT
Utah County regulates amplified music under general noise ordinances. Provo City Code §9.06 and Orem City Code §9-3 govern sound. Special event permits requi...
Utah County, UT
Utah County cities follow the 2021 International Building Code with Utah amendments requiring EV-ready parking in new multifamily construction. Residential L...
Utah County, UT
Provo bans overnight street parking from 3 AM to 5 AM year-round (Provo Code §9.45.050). Orem and unincorporated Utah County restrict overnight parking durin...
Utah County, UT
Utah County and its cities regulate fence materials by zone. Provo City Code §14.34 and Orem City Code §22-14-15 specify approved materials. Wood, vinyl, wro...
Utah County, UT
Retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from footing bottom to top) require a building permit and engineered drawings in Provo, Orem, and unincorporated Utah C...
Utah County, UT
Utah County has no breed-specific legislation. Utah Code §18-2-101 prohibits all local governments in Utah from enacting breed-specific laws. Dangerous anima...
See how Utah County's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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